10 most important stories of 2016 in Windsor and Severance

Grand openings and celebrations of success and achievement marked much of 2016 in Windsor and Severance.

However, the year had sad moments, as well — some bittersweet and others tragic.

Today's edition of Windsor Now! is devoted to the top 10 news stories of the year. The Windsor Now! news staff reviewed each week's publication and decided on this unscientific list as the top 10 stories of the year.

We hope you enjoy revisiting the big stories that put the Windsor area on the news map in 2016.

“It’s a relief to have this initiative pass so that we have the resources to continue on. At the same time, we are aware of the magnitude of the work ahead.” Dan SeegmillerSuperintendent

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1 Windsor copes with late-year tragedies

It's doubtful Windsor has had to grapple with as much tragedy in recent memory as it did in late 2016.

Kyle Nackos, 19, died early Thanksgiving morning after a car crash that also involved his friend, Nash Rider, 16. Rider remains in the hospital due to his injuries.

On Nov. 17, recent Windsor High School graduate Kelsey Thomas died in a car crash on Interstate 70. A day later, another graduate, Jenna Bruntz, died after a year-long battle with cancer. A week after that, a district bus driver of eight years, Richard Fischer, also died of cancer.

As if all that wasn't enough, on Nov. 14, two Windsor Middle School girls — Jessica Sowder, 13, and Liberty Huntwork, 13 — were hit by a car at a crosswalk near 7th Street and Hemlock Drive. They suffered critical injuries, but both girls have since returned to classes and are recovering.

As if that wasn't enough, on Dec. 15, A Windsor High student committed suicide at Brunner Farm Park, north of the high school's football field.

Following Nackos' death, Windsor High Principal Michelle Scallon said the town's support brought the community closer.

"The beautiful part of this whole thing is in that tragedy arose our community of support," she said. "Out of the tragedy our community has come together again."

2 Redevelopment of historic mill

For more than two years, many Windsor residents and officials dreamed of bringing new life to the historic downtown mill at 3rd and Main streets. This year, that dream moved closer to reality.

In 2008, a tornado blew through Windsor, damaged the mill and left it empty and unused.

Originally built in 1899, the Windsor mill and elevator served as a flour and feed mill in its early life. Prior to the tornado, the facility housed a pool table business.

In 2014, Windsor's Downtown Development Authority — with the help of the Colorado Department of Local Affairs — studied the feasibility of restoring the mill, finding it would cost at least $9.2 million. Its study identified funding as the largest challenge facing the redevelopment effort and suggested private investment with public funding to bridge some gaps.

Windsor's town board and DDA partnered to create a $3.7 million economic incentive package to jump-start redevelopment of the iconic downtown property.

The incentive package contributes $2.34 million toward public capital and façade improvements on the mill, with another $1.36 million in refunded taxes over time. The incentive package also waives $128,000 in permit-related fees for the estimated $10 million redevelopment project.

Fort Collins-based developer Blue Ocean — operating as Old Windsor Mill LLC for this project — started making moves toward the development over the summer. Proposals for the redeveloped mill property include a brew pub, cocktail bar, dining facility, public room and office space available for rent — all slated for a late 2017 opening.

3 Windsor Police getS new chief

On July 23, John Michaels, chief of the Windsor Police Department for 32 years, passed the position on to Rick Klimek.

During Michaels' service, the town grew to more than 24,000 and the department grew from six officers to 24.

Kelly Arnold, Windsor's town manager, worked with Michaels for nine years. He's seen the town grow with Michaels' guidance.

"(The length of his career) reflects well on John and his ability to work with an evolving community," Arnold said in July.

Michaels said he isn't interested in leaving a legacy; he wants to build a culture of mutual respect.

Klimek said he will remember Michaels as a master at practical jokes and a man of the highest integrity, and that Michaels was one of the reasons he decided to stay in Windsor for so long.

"His leadership style truly makes you feel wanted," Klimek said.

Klimek plans to continue the tradition of thoughtfulness and dedication as he ushers the department through a changing Windsor.

Lt. Craig Dodd said the department underwent an internal audit in late 2016, examining areas where the department can become more modern and efficient, with systems such as paperless police reports.

For the new year, the department is seeking to institute some of the audit's recommendations, as well as hire three new officers

4 School bond initiative passes

Two ballot questions will infuse millions of dollars into the Windsor-Severance Re-4 School District after passing handily in November's election.

Ballot Issue 3B asked voters in the district to approve a mill levy override of up to $3.6 million, phased in at $1.2 million increments over three years and then continuing forever. The mill levy, which is a property tax increase, would cover operating costs of a proposed new high school, among other things.

But the mill levy would not have counted unless related bond issue 3C also passed. The bond issue asked voters to approve a $104.8 million bond measure, which would cover the construction of a second high school in the district, as well as significant improvements to Windsor High School and the district's elementary and middle schools.

About $55 million will go toward constructing a second high school northeast of Severance Middle School, and about $30 million will go to renovations and improvements at Windsor High School.

"It'll be an interesting ride," said Superintendent Dan Seegmiller on election night from a watch party at the district office. "It's a relief to have this initiative pass so that we have the resources to continue on. At the same time, we are aware of the magnitude of the work ahead."

Seegmiller said the district will tackle more improvement projects than it has undergone at one given time.

"If I could believe in any district to pull this off, it's this one," he said.

5 Windsor star swimmer

Windsor senior Morgan Friesen keeps making headlines.

Friesen is a multi-time All-American, multi-time Class 4A swimming champion and state record-holder.

She recorded a time of 1:11.48 in the 100-meter breaststroke and 2:34.65 in the 200 breaststroke.

"It's unlike any other," said Friesen, who also swims for the Loveland Swim Club. "It's a meet that you can't compare to anything else. … It was really cool to be a part of it, and I was very honored to be a part of it, as well. It's something where the energy is so high, you can't even really describe it."

As a senior, she has one last season of competition to add to what already has been called one of the best prep careers in Weld County history.

Friesen has committed to swim for the University of Louisville

6 Community Recreation Center expansion

Windsor officials cut the ribbon on the almost 40,000-square-foot expansion of the Windsor Community Recreation Center in early October.

Almost doubling the size of the Community Recreation Center, 250 11th St., the expansion includes an aquatic facility with locker rooms, pool, water slide, lazy river and hot tub. The expansion also includes an indoor walking track, fitness and aerobic rooms, daycare room and outdoor playground.

The expansion also brought a handful of new fitness classes the community can take advantage of with a membership to the recreation center. The new pool, with its lap lanes and lazy river, offers opportunities for aquatic classes, but other programs offer strength training and cycling opportunities on dry land.

Construction crews broke ground on the expansion in July 2015, a little more than half a year after voters approved a 0.75 percent sales tax and a $16.1 million bond to fund the new facilities in the 2014 election.

Once the debt is paid off, the tax increase will sunset from 0.75 percent to 0.2 percent to fund ongoing operations and maintenance at the facility.

Hundreds lined up to check out the new facilities when they opened to the public with a grand ceremony.

By November, the town had issued 631 single-family home permits, more than the town has issued in any other full year.

The previous record, set in 2000 and tied in 2005, was 451 new homes permitted in a year. This past year, the town permitted only 285.

"Obviously we shattered the previous record in single-family permits and we're also up as far as multi-family permits goes, so we're seeing a lot of residential growth this past year," said Windsor Planning Director Scott Ballstadt. "I think that's largely due to a couple of projects that had been in the planning phases for quite a while, and this is the year that the housing market aligned with those plans and the projects came to fruition."

This year's numbers are strong even compared to other municipalities in the northern Colorado region, Ballstadt said.

All that growth in Windsor makes the town ripe for commercial development or expansion.

"A lot of time with growth like we're seeing, that additional population may cross the threshold for different commercial projects and make those feasible," Ballstadt said. "We have issued several commercial permits for redevelopment of existing buildings. So we do have some commercial development as well."

8 Quiet Zone in place

Many projects came to fruition this year, including the multi-year process of reducing Windsor's train noise.

"The Federal Railroad Administration requires trains to sound their horns for 15-20 seconds before reaching a crossing to warn the public," said Desa Blair, Windsor's Quiet Zone project engineer. "With 14 total crossings, the train horns created noise issues across town."

Windsor's train noise had become infamous among businesses and residents who lived near the crossings. About six years ago, town staff and officials started receiving complaints about the noise. The issue grew as officials got more complaints with increasing frequency and intensity.

"The town was getting calls on a pretty regular basis, so we started looking for solutions," said Windsor Mayor Kristie Melendez.

Quiet zone standards require safety measures to ensure drives don't try to cross the tracks when a train is about go through. At most Windsor crossings, that meant adding more gates or medians to stop drivers from using the oncoming traffic lane to dodge the gates and dart across the tracks before the train.

When the town finished the project, many got to enjoy the silence of successes.

9 Clearview Library looks to expand

Hoping to see success similar to the Windsor-Severance School Board with the passing of 3B and 3C, the Clearview Library anticipates asking for a bond or bond and mill levy override initiative in the 2017 election.

If that's the case, the bond would pay for the construction of a new library and the MLO would pay to operate the facility through additional property taxes on the district. The district currently has an MLO which pays for operations at the existing library.

Using $925,000 in reserve money, Clearview closed on property for a new building Dec. 15. The property is at Greenspire Drive and East Main Street — near Main Street and Hollister Lake Road.

"It's the first step," said Library Director Ann Kling. "It's the first step in many, many steps to building a new library."

Nothing has yet been decided, nor has the total cost of building the new library been determined.

This year, the library will begin looking for planning committees, seeking public input and finding architectural consultants.

10 Windsor high marching band plays at 75th anniversary of Pearl Harbor Attack

Out of 14 marching bands who played at the commemoration of 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7 in Hawaii, Windsor High School won the Grand Champion award for the best performance.

"There were some big bands there, so I didn't think it was going to be us that got an award for best band," said band Director Rob Darragh. "There were bands from different parts of the country that had around 300 members, and usually big bands dominate this kind of thing."

The band took its invitation to perform at the anniversary to a more personal level by using "casualty cards" to learn about servicemen who died at Pearl Harbor.

The casualty cards are laminated notecards provided by the Marine Historical Society in Windsor. Each contain condensed information about a Marine who lost his life at Pearl Harbor, and every student was presented a card in August.

The cards were used as motivation to keep playing and working hard all season. The students carried the cards with them in pockets or on keychains or lanyards throughout their performances in Hawaii.

"It was a trip through history that, hopefully, will stay with them as they develop and grow," Darragh said.